


SasuNejiSasu Gakuen

by Catriana, monkeydra



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, onesided narusasu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-25
Updated: 2013-04-25
Packaged: 2017-12-09 12:10:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/774043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catriana/pseuds/Catriana, https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeydra/pseuds/monkeydra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An RP by myself and Catriana. Because of this, we find out what happens next at about the same time you do. ((Abandoned))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So real life and things got in the way for both of us, so this is abandoned, but I hope you enjoy what's up anyway. I will edit a couple of other chapters that we had done but just never posted and add them, but that's about it for this story :3

" _I'm not going to give up on this."_

Sometimes, he wondered if he was a bad friend. It wasn't often, in fact it was very rarely and usually when he was at his most angst and emo ridden, but today was one of those days. He felt as if he should have seen that confrontation going the way it did, but he hadn't. The assumption that they had been on the same wavelength was obviously a false one. It actually made him feel a little foolish, a feeling he didn't enjoy.

How could he have known Naruto had seen their relationship differently? Nothing had ever changed between them, everything had been fine. Now he had this headache to deal with and he really just wanted to be left the hell alone. He had other issues to deal with.

Like the reason he had broken things off with his best friend to begin with. His roommate and current crush.

Annoyed by Naruto's antics for the day, he stormed upstairs and shrugged out of his school clothes and into something more comfortable. Putting on some sweats and a thin black tank top, he grabbed his iPod and went down to the basement where their 'gym' was. He and Itachi had spent a lot of money turning that dump into something where they could work out, and Sasuke definitely got its money worth out of it.

He plugged in the iPod to the stereo, turned on some heavy metal – he was in a head banging, skull crushing mood – and started going to town on the punching bag. Kicks and punches were slammed into the poor thing and it took no time at all for the Uchiha to start working up a sweat.

 _Damn that idiot for being an idiot!_  Now the  _entire school_  knew he liked men. Not that he really cared – he did, he just refused to admit it – but did he really have to tell everyone? Sasuke was a private person; he didn't like people in his business. He definitely didn't like the weird looks he was getting from guys now.

_I don't even like guys! I just like…_

He slammed his fist hard into the bag and fought the urge to wince. He had forgotten to wrap his hands and now his knuckles were bleeding. What a way to complete his totally awesome day.

Snorting, he walked over to one of the cabinets and began to pull out the first aid kit. Itachi would bitch if he kept getting blood all over everywhere, so he decided to clean and wrap his hands. He wasn't at all done abusing the punching bag. Not even close.

Neji opened the door to the house he shared with the Uchiha brothers and resisted the urge to sigh. His last class at his college had been brutal—he really hated psychology, mostly because he suspected his partner in that class really did need a professional—and he was glad to be away. At least, he had been until he remembered his uncle was calling later and, honestly, he preferred Lee to Hiashi any day.  _Any_  day.

Yeah, really.

His head turned towards the stairs leading to the basement as the sound of heavy metal assaulted his ears. At least one of the brothers was home, and only one of them ever felt the need to listen to someone screech his ears off. He debated on whether or not to let Sasuke know he was there, but Sasuke in the basement blasting screamo meant he was in the mood to pound something until it broke. While the younger Uchiha was pleasant to talk to—and look at—dealing with him in a violent mood didn't sound like the happiest of memories to aim for.

He decided to at least drop his backpack off in his room before deciding to do anything else. It was killing his back. His stomach voiced its displeasure halfway up the stairs, making Neji remember the skipped breakfast and pathetically small lunch. He threw the oversized lump onto his bed and made his way back downstairs.

He wondered if he had gotten lucky and maybe there was some food left over from when Itachi had cooked, but, sadly, the stars were not in his favor. Just when he had settled for a banana, the phone rang. He sighed and made his way over to it, hoping his uncle would have put off their monthly conversation for a few more hours. Or days. Or weeks. It was like mother nature's curse on women crammed into a few hours instead of a week.

"Hello."

"Hi, is Sasuke there?" a distinctly female voice that was not his uncle's replied. Neji almost sighed in relief.

"He's a bit preoccupied at the moment," he replied, not quite willing to submit a stranger to a murderous Sasuke, judging from the noises making their way up to him.

"Who is this?"

"His roommate."

"Oh! Then can I ask you a question?" She took his bewildered silence for a yes. "Do you know if Sasuke is gay? There is a rumor going around school and I wanted to know if it was true." Neji pinched the bridged of his nose and tried not to hang up. Compared to  _this_  type, he actually preferred his uncle. "—what do you think?"

"I think I'll let Sasuke know you called."

"Wait! But you don't even know my name!"

"Then what is your name?"

"Sakura, but—"

"I'll let him know you called." Neji hung up and rubbed his temples. The topic of Sasuke's ambiguous sexuality was not one he wanted to consider since, as attractive as the younger male was, he didn't want to be fed false hope. Besides, he wasn't sure his feelings extended past lust, and he respected Itachi—and had grown to respect Sasuke—far too much to pursue him without being certain. He decided to get back to his room before Sasuke left the makeshift gym.

His current train of thought and Sasuke sweaty in his obscenely flattering work-out clothes would not be a wise combination.

After what felt like hours, he finally finished letting all his anger out on the inanimate object. Grabbing a towel from the tall metal cabinet where they kept all their supplies, he wiped down and wrapped it around his neck. He grabbed a water bottle from the mini-fridge and downed half of it before coming up for air.

Idly, he stared at the bottle, not really seeing it, as he recalled the past. He tried to summon the familiar feelings that would come whenever he thought of  _him_  and the things they had done together. Normally, thinking of those intimate things would have excited him, for he was male, hormonal, and a teenager. But that had been the problem. That was when he had realized his feelings for the Hyuuga.

It had taken him a while to realize that he wanted more than just something physical. It had felt strange, to know that yes, he wanted sex but that was only a part of it. Just fooling around now made him – dare he say it – incomplete.

Somewhat frustrated, for having such feelings made him feel vulnerable and weak, he tossed the now empty bottle in the trash and headed upstairs for a shower. He really should sit down and talk to Naruto, but hadn't he done that already? Look where that had gotten him.

The entire school now thought he was gay and to be honest, he didn't really  _feel_  gay. He didn't like other guys, just one. He didn't find other males to be attractive, so what did that mean?

"Damnit." Letting out an irritated noise, he walked out of the shower, tossing on some drawstring pants and a dark blue shirt. Stomach growling, he walked downstairs and opened the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. Dark mutterings emerged when he remembered Itachi had mentioned no food in his text message and that he was on his own.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he tensed, turning towards the entrance. Just now, he thought he had felt someone watching him…

Neji had come downstairs to grab a bottle of water. He was about to tackle an essay as an attempt to keep his mind off the fact that he was likely alone with Sasuke. The essay wasn't due for another month, but there was nothing quite like macroeconomics to get your mind off of your roommate's attractiveness. Then he came downstairs and was greeted with a rather nice view of Sasuke bent over and rummaging through the fridge. He could feel the warmth on his cheeks from his mind going someplace it  _definitely_  was  _not_  supposed to go. However, he knew he couldn't simply stay standing awkwardly at the top of stairs.

He took a deep, calming breath and focused on what he had learned from meditation. He raised a hand to his cheek to test if the blush was still there. Deeming it safe, he moved back downstairs and walked towards the kitchen. After he had pulled a bottle of water out, he turned to Sasuke. Not that he would ever admit it, but the unreadable gaze he was sometimes faced with was slightly unnerving. It wasn't quite like Itachi's, which was unreadable simply because there were no clues on his face as to what he was thinking. As for Sasuke, Neji always had the feeling he should know what that gaze meant, but it always eluded him, and he hated that instead of working on his essay to not think about Sasuke he was indeed thinking about him.

And staring at him, judging by how uncomfortable he looked.

He looked away and took a drink. His gaze fell on the phone, and he remembered the female from earlier.

"Someone named," he paused for a minute to remember the name. She hadn't made a very positive impression on him, so he had to fight his natural reaction to forget them and be glad he would never have to talk to them again. "Sakura," he remembered at last. "Someone named Sakura called earlier." He debated telling him that she wanted to know if he was gay, but he would find that out if he decided to call her back. He had thought about Sasuke enough, and having him in his direct line of vision certainly wasn't helping. He turned and began to walk away.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of Neji, but not because he was upset. Quickly, he turned, grateful that his face was still flushed from his shower. Damn, just  _looking_  at him was like this? He couldn't stand it, it was annoying.

Then he opened his mouth and the Uchiha tried very hard not to stare at the other's lips. He wanted to scold himself – he wasn't thirteen, he should be able to control his emotions better. All that died a quick death the moment the name 'Sakura' emerged.

Sasuke didn't even bother hiding his annoyance and took a long swallow of his drink. He had an idea of why she would be calling. She had probably tried his cell and when that hadn't worked, had called the house phone.

 _That means he knows…_  The thought was unpleasant and it took a lot not to react to the realization. He could not know, Sakura could have said nothing. She could have, for once, squashed her girl tendency to learn juicy gossip.

_Yeah, and Naruto could grow a brain._

"What did she want?" he capped the bottle of water and put it back in the fridge, turning to face the Hyuuga. His voice sounded very neutral, although inwardly he was slightly panicked. What would Neji do if he knew? He didn't seem uncomfortable, so maybe he didn't know. If he did, what then? No, it didn't matter; the two of them rarely spoke anyway. If he was lucky, Neji would probably not even care and then Sasuke would just get over him.

Eventually. He liked himself better when he didn't have these emotions.

Neji paused mid-turn and faced the Uchiha again. He sighed, not really wanting to repeat what her shrill voice had been squealing/screeching into his ear. While he wouldn't mind a little confirmation himself—no! No! He would mind.

Maybe if he told himself that enough it would stick.

"Something about a rumor at school." He stood, for once in his life, inwardly praying that his mask of neutrality held up and Sasuke didn't ask for more clarification. That adorable flush from his shower was much more attractive than it should have been, and his slightly damp bangs were pushed back from his eyes. His was a beauty that grew the more you looked at him, and Neji was cursing every minute and hoping his expression remained unreadable.

"Hn." The Uchiha looked at his roommate, trying to see if he was lying or hiding something, but there was nothing revealing in those white depths. "Thanks." He was  _not_  calling Sakura back, he really didn't want to talk to anyone, especially not her. She'd just ask a bunch of annoying questions he didn't feel like answering.

He almost wanted to laugh – not in amusement. Sasuke wondered how long it would take for Itachi and the university to find out. Everyone knew he had a brother, those girls would be relentless. Not that Itachi was homophobic, he had known about his 'friend with benefits' deal with Naruto but that didn't make it any less of a pain.

Then came the icing on the cake: his stomach growled. Loudly.

Although he was normally calm, cool, and collected, he was still a teenager and he was just as prone to the stresses of that life as anyone else. He ducked his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. First was Naruto and his antics, then Sakura calls and there was a good chance his crush now knew about his sexual preference…and was probably straight. His knuckles fucking hurt which really shouldn't be included but he was pissy so it was. Now he had just  _embarrassed_  himself because his stomach hated him and wanted to add to his social humiliation.

His hand moved to rub the bridge of his nose. He was tired and he didn't think he could deal with anymore tonight. He was at his emotional limit.

"See ya." It was almost a growl as he moved to rush past Neji, salvaging what was left of his damaged pride so he could go upstairs to brood and emo over his completely shitty day.

Neji watched Sasuke's head duck down, completely confused at the sudden change in attitude. Clearly the rumor had upset him, but that couldn't be all. Even he knew about the friends with benefits arrangement with Naruto—he cringed when he remembered how vocal the blonde could be and how Itachi and Neji had taken that as a sign to  _leave now_ —so he wasn't homophobic. Although, he remembered having fangirls/boys/ambiguous in high school as well…

He wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but the raven-haired male's empty stomach probably wasn't helping matters much.

"Do you want to get something to eat with me?" he asked before he could stop himself. His hand twitched as he resisted the urge to smack himself in a very un-Hyuuga like fashion for his own stupidity. Even if Sasuke was unaware of his knowledge of the rumors, asking him on what could easily be construed as a date was not a good move. The Uchiha was looking at him with that unreadable expression again, and now it was making him even more nervous than usual.

With an attempt to salvage the situation, he added, "There's no food left in the house, so it's either order in or eat out," he said with a shrug, his Hyuuga background making it look slightly forced on him. "Unless you're expecting more calls," he tacked on to the end, meant both as he didn't want to inconvenience him but also that if he wanted to he could avoid them for a little longer. "I still need to change out of my uniform, so you have some time to think about it," he ended.

It wasn't a complete a lie. Hyuuga or not, he hated ties, and he had been in the same shirt and pants since this morning. He wasn't sweaty enough that he felt the need to hop in the shower, but enough to feel uncomfortable in the same clothes. When his own stomach growled, a light pink dusted his cheeks and he took that as his cue to get ready to leave a little faster. Even if he had invited Sasuke along to be nice, he was pretty hungry too.

"Huh?" had been the rather elegant response. Sasuke looked completely stunned by the question for a moment before he schooled his expression back to normal. Did he want to go eat out with the Hyuuga? Was that a rhetorical question?

Maybe he really didn't know about the rumor. And despite making an absolute fool of himself, Neji still wanted to hang around him. They had never spent any actual time together, and while it was probably a bad idea, he couldn't help but want to. His emotions were all over the place but his mind was working at the same time.

This would be the perfect way to see if he had a shot. He didn't want to guess any longer. If nothing happened, then he'd just get over it and maybe he could somehow get the rumors to stop. If something did happen…well, he'd figure that out when the time came. He honestly wasn't expecting much.

"I wasn't expecting Sakura's." which was the truth. Pulling out his cell phone, he turned it off and glanced at Neji. "Alright. I'll be five minutes. You're deciding, since it was your idea."

He was quite proud of himself for acting normal as he walked up the stairs to grab some more suitable clothing for their…

 _Wait…is this a date?_  He dismissed the thought immediately. One had to be  _dating_  to go on a date, at least he thought so. No, Neji was just being nice. He was being the rational Hyuuga he always was.

 _Don't set yourself up for disappointment._  Shrugging on a collared dark blue shirt and black pants, he was downstairs in three minutes instead of five, hands in his pockets as he waited for Neji.

Once Neji was upstairs and in his room, he couldn't help it. He smiled. While adorable was not normally a word associated with an Uchiha, that's exactly what Sasuke looked like while confused. He shook his head lightly, reminding himself that he needed to change clothes.

He sighed in relief when the tie finally came off. He really, really hated ties. Call it a pet peeve. He shrugged out of his white shirt and slacks and threw them into his hamper. From his clothes, he picked out a pair of black slacks and a pale gray button-up shirt.

He had no idea what he was thinking, or if he had been thinking at all, when he had asked Sasuke out on the date/not date/overly complicated situation. On the bright side, whatever seemed to have been upsetting the Uchiha was replaced by his usual impassive demeanor, so maybe he had made a good choice.

He couldn't help but chuckle when he remembered how annoyed Sasuke had looked as he turned off his phone. Some things about high school and the girls in it appear to not have changed at all. He slipped on some shoes and grabbed his cell phone and wallet on the way out of his room. If there was an emergency, Sasuke's phone clearly wasn't going to be the best fountain of information. He made it downstairs and saw Sasuke waiting in his usual pose and tilted his head to the side.

"You change fast," he said while he grabbed his car keys from the little bowl near the door. He opened the door and immediately set his brain to work. Where the hell were they going to eat? He didn't want to pressure the Uchiha into thinking this was a date by taking him somewhere to fancy or expensive, but he still wasn't going to take him to a fast food place. He had offered to take him somewhere to eat and whether this was a date or not, his pride would not allow him to just take him to the nearest junk food place. He stopped the groan of frustration at himself before he escaped and started sorting through nearby places with food.

Sasuke's response was to shrug, turning towards the door. He had to do it, because looking at the Hyuuga for any prolonged period of time was sure to give himself away. It didn't help that Neji just  _naturally_  looked amazing. What the hell was that, anyway? He thought that was just an Uchiha thing.

He followed the Hyuuga out, locking the door and following behind, hands still in his pockets. He allowed himself to sneak a glance at the other male's figure. Then he had to glance away again, for his mind started holding rather inappropriate thoughts. He was a bit surprised when he felt that familiar stirring within his body, but was able to squash it before it became obvious.

That was odd, was it because it had been a while? Even before he had broke things off, the two of them had not had sex for a while. Weeks at best. Naruto had been curious, for the Uchiha was normally insatiable – mostly because sex was one of the few times he actually  _felt_ anything. It had been as if he had become asexual again, where not even Naruto could stir anything.

"So," he began as he slid into the vehicle, looking out the window. "Got any ideas?"

Neji sighed at the question, figuring honesty was probably the best policy.

"Absolutely none," he deadpanned. He avoided looking at Sasuke, glad he would soon have the excuse of having to focus on the road. He pulled a hair tie out of his pocket and loosely tied his hair back. He would probably be confused for a girl anyway, but at least he would be able to see and not have it in his way.

He opened the door and buckled his seat belt, starting the car while Sasuke got in. He turned to the younger male and offered a small smile. "Are you in the mood for anything specific?" He turned to look behind them, the arm not on the wheel resting on the back of the seat as he backed out of the driveway. He inwardly prayed Sasuke would help narrow down the choices.

A shrug "Pasta." It was good enough, and most of them had tomatoes in it. He was in the mood to binge on his favorite food. "There's a place downtown that's pretty good." Turning briefly towards Neji, he smirked slightly.

"I never thought I'd catch the great Hyuuga Neji off guard." He turned back to the window as the car pulled out. "Must be my lucky day after all."

_I'm flirting. Why the hell am I flirting? I never flirt._

He never had a reason to, if he were honest with himself. People threw themselves at him, not the other way around. Obviously, he was more stressed out than he thought if he was acting crazy like this.

Neji smirked as he turned the car onto a different street. Eyes never leaving the road, he replied, "I, being as great as I am, was just making sure you didn't want someplace with a kiddie meal, lucky boy."

It was only a one year age difference, but the fact that he was now in college while Sasuke was still in high school, last year though it may be, did make for a valuable teasing technique. He spared Sasuke a brief glance, and, upon catching sight of the unbelievably sexy smirk, immediately turned his eyes back to the street. Those smirks of his should be listed as a safety hazard.

Neji inwardly rolled his eyes at his completely cheesy line of thinking and was glad he never used pick-up lines.

 _"_ So what's the name of this place?"

"Jolly Pasta." The smirk widened at the jibe. Feeling a bit more comfortable now that the floodgates had opened, he looked back over at Neji. "That is, if it's good enough His Greatness."

For some reason, he had the strong urge to reach out and tuck some of the Hyuuga's hair behind his ear. It made him frown slightly and he turned to look back out the window. How long until he really slipped up? He needed to make a move, but he wasn't sure how or what to do.

 _Maybe during dinner. Or after._ He was a genius, he'd figure something out.

"Sounds great, kiddo," he replied with a smile, enjoying the light banter. He internally sighed in relief when he realized he knew where that was. "And if I remember correctly, they do have a kiddie meal." He turned the car again, now knowing where he was going. He wasn't a particularly picky eater, so pasta sounded great, and as his stomach rumbled again he vowed he would at least try not to skip breakfast ever again.

He could feel Sasuke had relaxed and could feel some of the tension leaving his shoulders. Of course, he knew he should keep his eyes on the road this time. Uchihas, especially when relaxed, were the most effectively disorienting and distracting people in existence.

And all they had to was  _sit_  and  _breathe_.

"Cute, Hyuuga, real cute." Sasuke muttered dryly, getting out of the car. "You know, you might be older and taller than me, but I bet I could still kick your ass." Okay, so challenging the guy one had a crush on was hardly romantic…but a part of him did actually want to spar him. Ever since he had heard that the Hyuuga was a martial arts champion he had wanted to, but had been too lazy/apathetic to do anything about it.

They walked in and were quickly seated, since it wasn't crowded. The waitresses, of course, was giving them The Look. One of them, that Sasuke vaguely recognized from school, came bouncing up to them.

"Sasuke-kun!" she chirped and he tried very hard not to look as irritated as he felt. Was there no place where he could be left  _alone_? "I haven't seen you here in a while!"

"Really." His voice sounded flat and bland.

Fidgeting and blushing, she hastily pulled out her keypad. "It's so good to see you here, Sasuke-kun, what will you have to drink?" then, as if realizing he had a guest, she glanced at Neji and then gasped, her hands flying to her face. "Omigosh, Hyuuga-sempai! You're here too? Wow, this  _is_  my lucky night! What can I get you two to drink?"

_Now I remember why I don't come here that much anymore._

Neji for a moment only blinked, a blank look on his face as he tried to figure out who this person was and why, apparently, he should know her. He decided he should at least order first.

"I'll have an iced tea," he said at last. She let out a noise that sounded disturbingly like a squeal and he fought the urge to throw his hands over his ears and glare. Not just any glare either. His, as Tenten had dubbed, 'I will kill you with my bare hands and super martial arts skill and even  _you,_  pathetic fangirl, will fear me' glare.

She had a way with words, that one.

Considering that overkill—for now—he instead settled for his regular 'you are an annoyance' glare. Lee and Tenten had once debated on whether or not it even counted as a glare, since it was more of an—what was the term?—"unnervingly apathetic" look that somehow managed to look mildly annoyed. However, when he saw the look on Sasuke's face, he didn't know who he should pity more: Sasuke, for obvious reasons, or the random fangirl who might be about to meet an untimely end. The danger seemed to intensify when she leaned closer to ask a whispered question he couldn't hear, looking genuinely curious.

He felt the sudden urge to remind Sasuke that even if the staff would have to clean the blood from the floor, he would still have to get it out of his shirt  _and_  deal with the police. He had a feeling that would make matters worse, though and chose to bite his tongue instead.

"Water. _"_  It was growled out after she whispered in his ear. She continued to blink at him curiously, apparently expecting an answer. His response?

"Go.  _Now._  We're thirsty." The hidden threat behind the words was heard. With a nervous giggle, she sauntered off, perturbed that she had upset her 'future husband'.

At least the ditz had the common decency not to blurt it out in front of Neji, although he was still highly irritated. He had a feeling Neji wouldn't ask but would listen if he told him. Should he say anything? It might actually cause more good than harm. He could gauge the reaction – if there was one, Neji was good at hiding his expressions.

"The rumor again," he explained after a moment. "Naruto told the entire school something about me. Now everyone wants to know if it's true."

"They certainly are determined," he commented. Then his brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait… Naruto started a rumor?" He almost said 'the' but thought that would clue Sasuke in that he knew about it, and from the looks of it, he would really rather Neji not know. "Why would he do that?"

He tilted his head to the side, hair draping over his shoulder. The tilt was only slight and almost languid but still served to remind someone of a bird.

No matter how often he encountered it, he would never understand the purpose of a rumor. They were mostly untrue and only served to create headaches. Besides, he was under the impression the two were best friends.

"I thought it was more his style to just ask you." He looked up at the Uchiha, only to be met with a rather focused stare.

"Yeah, he did." Sasuke turned his head to the side, looking at the far wall. "Because, he knows I won't tell him outright…it'll only make things worse." He had spared a brief glance towards the Hyuuga, taking in the way his head tilted slightly. There was a certain elegance about the Hyuuga that definitely was desirable.

Should he test the waters now?

"He did ask, but I didn't respond the way he wanted. He thinks there's something more. So now he's doing this hunt, and gave a 'hint' by telling people I'm gay. Now everyone wants to know if it's true."  _Let's see how you react to that, Hyuuga._

He decided to call his bluff. "And if Sakura called, you probably already knew that. Nice of you to play dumb, though."

Neji offered a small, sheepish smile in response.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to know, and I figured if you wanted me to know you'd tell me yourself," he said with a shrug. "On that note, I hope for your sake that… Sakura doesn't know any more of your secrets." He carefully controlled his reaction. Sasuke had neither confirmed nor denied the rumor, besides that he had already resolved that he wouldn't pursue the younger male unless he was absolutely sure he had feelings for him.

He definitely respected him, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by the potential sparring match that Sasuke may or may not have seriously proposed. He was also easy to talk to, with a refreshingly high intelligence and wit.

"What exactly is Naruto hunting for?" What could possibly be so important that Sasuke wouldn't tell and Naruto wouldn't respect his decision? From what he had heard during his few conversations with Sasuke, Naruto could be pretty understanding.

"Tch. I don't like anyone knowing my business, but that was taken out of my hands." He shrugged. "I don't tell Sakura anything and Naruto…" no matter what, he wasn't going to give the blond the information he wanted. He didn't want Neji getting harassed or challenged to something dumb and nonsensical. There was no competition because there was nothing to compete for.

Neji wasn't stupid, he'd figure out most of everything if Sasuke told him enough. But wasn't that what he wanted? At the same time he was nervous. Him, nervous! Mostly of rejection. It was an emotion he was intimate with thanks to his late father, and it wasn't one he found thrilling. Sasuke hated feeling conflicted about things.

"We were friends with benefits." Might as well just say it outright. "Itachi knows so I'm sure you do…the guy is loud as hell." He rolled his eyes at that, smirking slightly. Even if he held no romantic attachment to him, Naruto was still his best friend. He cared, just not like  _that_. "I told him I didn't want the benefits anymore. He thinks it's because of someone and wants to know who it is.

"It's just a dumb misunderstanding, but he's Naruto and won't listen. He thought we were dating even though it was never like that, and from the beginning we never saw it like that." He shrugged "He's got a reward out for whoever can figure out who I 'like'. He says he wants to fight for me…" he shook his head. It was so stupid and tiresome.

"Here's your drinks!" the girl came back, her grin wide. "Are you ready to order?"

"Give us a few more minutes."

"Alright! Just press the button there on the table and I'll be right over!" flashing them a wink, she sauntered off and the Uchiha resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Neji listened as Sasuke told him what had been happening and tried to see if there was a way he could alleviate the situation, even just slightly or for a short while. From what he had seen of the blonde, he was much worse than Lee and Guy combined, and even though he had been friends with them for years, he still felt the occasional urge to shoot himself in the foot rather than deal with them.

His concern rose a little when he saw the Uchiha's onyx eyes flick down slightly, as if he were nervous about something. Neji found that incredibly strange, especially since Sasuke embodied the classic Uchiha confidence, and on occasion arrogance, so well.

He chuckled lightly at Sasuke's comment about Naruto, once again flashing back to moments when either he or Itachi, sometimes both at the same time, would dash out of the house, not all that willing to be privy to the two friends' activities. His small smile was almost soft, however at the fond look the Uchiha gave.

He was sure the pity was showing on his face, though, when Sasuke mentioned the reward. Naruto, predictably, had no idea how to deal with situations regarding information and the lack thereof.

He nearly glared at the waitress until he remembered that, as annoying as she was, she was just doing her job. At the wink, though, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Did they not realized how desperate they came off? He would never understand how they managed to spin complete disinterest into "cool."

He looked back up and saw Sasuke was tensing up again.

"You like tomatoes, right?" Neji couldn't believe he was doing this.

That got him a strange look. This time Sasuke tilted his head, a dark brow raising. "Sure, I like them." Loved them was a better word, but he wasn't going to say that.

The abrupt change in subject; Neji was giving him an out it seemed. He had to admit he liked the fact that Neji was who he was. He wasn't trying to pry too deep, even though he could have. He had noticed his discomfort and decided to leave it alone. It almost made him wonder if the two could have ever become friends had circumstances been better.

"I usually just get spaghetti with extra tomatoes, but since you've never been here, take your time looking at the menu."

This…felt nice. It didn't really feel like a date, because there was an obvious emotional and physical wall between them, but he liked being around Neji. When he had first realized his feelings, Sasuke had been at a complete loss as to what he wanted to do about it. He had never held romantic feelings, so them hitting him like a Mack truck had been a little…disorienting

It had been weird when he had seen other couples and had actually felt  _envious_  of them. Uchiha Sasuke wasn't envious of anyone – that he'd admit to, anyway. He had never wanted to hold hands with someone, to go to the movies, or to kiss them. Never had he just wanted to be in someone's presence.

What it meant now that he had those feelings, he had no idea. Neji had revealed nothing. No real shock, disappointment, disgust. It didn't seem to bother him that his roommate could potentially be gay…but if it had, he suppose it would have come out a  _long_  time ago.

Briefly, he wondered if maybe Neji didn't care because he…well, that was going a bit too far. Not being bothered by gay people didn't make one gay. That was just wishful thinking.

Neji only smiled at the strange look. He also chose to hold back that he knew tomatoes were actually Sasuke's favorite food. His eyes flicked down to the menu and looked at the dishes they had to offer. He blinked in surprise when he saw soba noodles with herring. It wasn't exactly an uncommon dish, but he was still surprised to see it.

His eyes subtly flicked back up to take in the Uchiha. He appeared to be deep in thought about something. He wondered what it could possibly be that the Uchiha was thinking so hard about. Then again, considering what Naruto was up to, he wouldn't be surprised if he was trying to think up a way to get him to stop. He lightly set down the menu, already having decided but not sure if Sasuke was choosing something else to go with his pasta and extra tomatoes.

Sasuke appeared to be staring at him, but he couldn't tell if he was actually staring at him or if it was one of those unfocused gazes that only looked as if they were registering what they saw. He turned his head to briefly look out the window. Aside from meditation, people watching tended to relax him, and seeing how Sasuke was doing that sitting and breathing again, he definitely needed to relax before he blurted something out.

He could feel his overactive brain wind back down into a relaxed state, watching the people walk by the window and blurs of color as cars zoomed by, in a hurry to get somewhere. He saw a young boy walking with his father, and one of the corners of his mouth twitch upward slightly in nostalgia.

Honestly, if one ignored the shrill voices of the fangirls/waitresses, this place was actually really nice. The atmosphere was pleasant, the decorations were thankfully not as tacky as they could have been, and Sasuke's subtle death threats were, for the most part, keeping the waitresses from drooling on them.

"It's nice here," he finally said, complimenting the Uchiha on his choice.

A nod. "Yeah. I don't come here as often as I used to, though." As if shaking himself from his reverie, the Uchiha blinked and then focused his dark gaze back to Neji. "You ready to order?" At the affirmative, he buzzed the waitress and the two placed their orders.

Sasuke looked amused at the choice. Soba with herring? Seemed like an interesting combination. He left it alone, though, since liking tomatoes and onigiri wasn't exactly common. Well, onigiri, perhaps not.

Their meals came and went, the two saying little. Not that much needed to be said, but Sasuke was mostly deep in his thoughts. A part of him just wanted to confess and get it out of the way, but his pride kept him from it. Confess just to get rejected? No thanks.

"I don't want to go home yet." He confessed as they finished their meal. "Let's go to the park."

He could think up a plan there. If not, screw it. If something was meant to happen, it would. He had enough to stress over.

Neji allowed himself a smirk at Sasuke's statement. "Avoiding all the phones you can?" He buzzed the waitress and asked for the bill. "I'll pay," he said, ignoring the younger's protests and handed the waitress the money, ignoring her batting her eyelashes at him.

"So any big plans for the weekend?" he asked on the way out, feeling waves of disappointment from the waitresses. He started the car again, pulling out to drive towards the park. Since at this point they were just killing time, he decided to take the long way. He briefly debated buying some form of popcorn or bread to feed the birds, but he tended to get distracted and ignore everything around him when he did that, so he decided against it.

He didn't know why he was bothering with small talk. He normally found it pointless and annoying, but he liked listening to the smooth, deep tone of Sasuke's voice. Besides that he found Sasuke's deadpan way of speaking amusing.

Thankfully, traffic wasn't too bad, so he could mostly listen to what Sasuke was saying. This way, he could sort of hold off the important topics until he wasn't driving so he could give Sasuke his full attention.

"I hate phones." He said honestly. "Mostly because I hate having my ear talked off." He  _almost_  protested when Neji declared that he would be paying. Hell, lunch money for later.

He completely ignored the girl as they left, hands in his pockets, his face devoid of emotion. Once again he sat looking out the window as Neji drove. The exchanged small talk, which was nice, but there seemed to be some sort of underlining…tension. An expectation. His body felt somewhat tense by this, but he said nothing about it.

Maybe it was because he had decided he would finally make a move. Sasuke just hoped he didn't make an absolute fool of himself.


	2. Chapter 2

We're here." the Uchiha said, as if that wasn't obvious. He smirked as he took in the trees and benches. "Good. Everyone's gone home. I didn't feel like running into anyone." he slid out the car, stretching his limbs a bit. This was perfect.

He had purposefully avoided answering the Hyuuga's question until they had gotten out of the car. It was when he was sure there wasn't anyone around and/or looking that he decided to make his move.

"I'm not doing anything this weekend." he said flatly. His eyes slid over to regard the Hyuuga seriously. "Why? You offering?" Now it was out. Neji could take it any sort of way, but he knew that with the older male being the genius he was, he'd pick the most logical one based on the way the night had gone so far.

Neji followed the Uchiha and allowed his eyes to subtly glance up and down the younger's body, muscles rippling slightly as he stretched. He knew the Uchiha had avoided his question, but he wasn't sure what his reaction should be. He was radiating nervousness, and Neji was confused about the change.

He had even pointed out the obvious. Another sign that he was nervous. Suddenly, Sasuke was looking him directly in the eye, a first for the rapidly ending day. He had given him sideways glances or through lowered lashes. There were even the few that Neji had the feeling he wasn't supposed to know about. This was an intense onyx stare boring straight into his own milky depths.

He wondered why Sasuke had avoided the question, and even checked for other people, just to say he wasn't doing anything until he asked. Neji didn't answer right away, the question having been asked too tensely for it to be taken at face value or as light banter. It almost seemed as if he was asking him out on a date in some roundabout way. More specifically, it was if he was trying to get Neji to ask him out.

Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place for Neji. It made sense why Sasuke had been so nervous around him this entire day, why he appeared to be tiptoeing around him. He had no idea how to respond.

He didn't want to reject Sasuke since he was attracted to him and didn't want to hurt him. At the same time, he wasn't sure if his feelings extended past friendship and lust. He saw Sasuke start to fidget, and knew he had to say something, and carefully.

"Sasuke, I-" he paused and searched for the words. "I am definitely attracted to you. There is no doubt about that." He broke off again, looking away and unsure how to continue. He looked back up again, knowing he needed to go with complete honesty here. "I'm, not sure how I feel about you, and I don't want to lead you on. I respect you too much for that." He said what needed to be said. Neji stopped and watched Sasuke carefully, waiting for his response.

The Uchiha was very proud of himself for his reaction. At first, he only blinked at Neji, his expression revealing nothing. Inwardly, he felt a bit mixed. He was elated, because the Hyuuga was attracted to men and was attracted to him. It made him feel weird, as if his chest was light but heavy at the same time. His stomach felt warm.

Another part of him was disappointed, because although Neji was attracted to him, it seemed to be just that. Not that Sasuke had been expecting much, the two rarely spoke after all. It would be foolish to think Neji would feel what he felt, that he would want more. Then there was Naruto.

What would he do now that he had a chance? If Naruto found out, he'd just annoy Neji until a firm stomp was put on the situation. With Neji only being attracted, it could drive the other male off before anything could even begin.

However, Sasuke wasn't one to hide. If something happened, he didn't want it to be some sort of coverup. That was annoying and it wasn't him.

Eventually, he shrugged, turning. He started walking. "I didn't ask you to be my boyfriend or anything." it was said a little gruffly. "But since we're being honest, I've never had one. A relationship, I mean. And there's the thing with Naruto."

He stopped walking and sighed, looking up at the sky. "Look, I have nothing to do this weekend. If you want to hang out, fine. If not, I won't take it personally. I know what I want, so it's up to you. Take it as far or as short as you want it to go." he closed his eyes "It doesn't matter to me."

At this point he wasn't sure if Sasuke was just trying to be tough or not. He looked at him with a soft, unnameable look in his eyes. He walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, waiting for him to turn around and face him again. If there was any way to figure out what he felt for the Uchiha, it would be by hanging out with him and getting to know him better.

"I would like to hang out with you tomorrow." He looked away, once again trying to figure out how to word this. "I know I at least like you, so it's not like I'll be bored," he said, looking back at him with a small smile.

Unconsciously, his thumb started rubbing the younger male's shoulder underneath his hand. He enjoyed the close proximity, and the Uchiha remained striking, even in the dimming light. His inky hair was a stark contrast to his smooth, pale skin, and his eyes were piercing and alluring at the same time. He could keep eye contact with him and never get bored with that endless black and the always burning inner fire. He was fit, obviously, from all of his training, and he was only slightly shorter than him. And Neji was pretty tall.

He carefully kept his gaze off of his lips. He wasn't very trusting of his self control at the moment, and if the Uchiha kept looking at him that way, he was going to kiss him. There was no doubt about that. He suddenly thought of a way to lighten the mood. They were both too tense for this to be a good way to start.

"Besides, if Naruto finds out, then I definitely won't be bored."

That seemed to be the right thing to say, for Sasuke's shoulders seemed to loosen. He gave Neji a thin, but sincere smile. It was difficult, but he didn't react to the tingle that raced up his spine at the unfamiliar touch. How long had he wanted just that? Just a touch? It felt too good, he wanted more.

He hoped the other wouldn't become bored. So far, Sasuke had enjoyed being around Neji, it had been the way he thought it would be. Quiet, but not terribly uncomfortable. They spoke when there was something to say and it was enough. He wasn't outgoing, but neither was Neji. Both seemed to enjoy simplicity and quiet.

"If Naruto finds out..." he chuckled, shaking his head. "He'll be annoying." In a display of uncharacteristic affection, his hand took hold of the one on his shoulder. His gaze was serious and intense. "I don't want him to find out...not yet."  _Not until I know what 'this' is._

Letting go, he turned away again. It was hard looking, touching, and not doing more. Neji's hand had felt warm and soft. Sasuke was used to just doing what he wanted when he wanted. For something like this, he would have to be patient and let Neji set the pace. He was fine with that, for the most part, because he didn't want something simple like friends with benefits. At the very least, he knew a real relationship was more than that.

"So...tomorrow." Embarrassment crept up on his cheeks. This was...awkward. "Did you uh, have anything in mind? If not, there's a museum that just opened." Was that good enough of a place for a date? Wait, it was a date, wasn't it? Neji had said they were hanging out, so no, not a date. Or something.

_Alright, that's it. I'm getting a self-help book or something, because it's retarded I don't know what the hell I'm doing_. It was a definite bruise to his ego to be completely clueless, but he had been telling the truth. He had never been on a date - burger joints did not count, nor did acting like an ass at the movies - and he had never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. Not that Neji was, that had been made clear. It was just...

_Shut up, brain._ He was thinking too damn much on something really simple.

He liked the feeling of Sasuke's hand covering his. When he removed his hand, his own felt much too chilly from the evening breeze. He wanted to see more of that smile. He needed to see more of that smile. He wanted to see him smile just because, not just out of relief that something didn't go badly for him.

He practically ached with the desire to hold the Uchiha, and nearly jumped in surprise at the feeling. Neji could feel the warmth radiating from Sasuke and he could see how nervous he was. It made sense. He said he had never been in a relationship before, so even if he and Neji weren't "dating" per say, this would be the closest he's gotten to an actual boyfriend. He didn't know if he should-or could-call this dating. For now he supposed they could just call it hanging out as friends. He knew he would have to give Sasuke a definitive answer eventually, though.

He knew he cared for Sasuke, if all of the protective impulses he had felt today were any indication. He knew he had felt mildly possessive when the waitresses were ogling them, and had felt an immediate dislike for the people causing him stress. All of this was completely new to Neji. Even if his friends didn't like someone, unless the person had been genuinely malicious to them, he waited until he actually had enough information to form his own opinion of them. He had managed to quash his childhood impulse to pre-judge people years ago.

Sasuke had managed to negate all of that in a matter of hours.

Sasuke was able to render his years of discipline and training absolutely useless simply by being there. He felt off-balance by that, but somehow it being Sasuke kept him from caring too much. It was almost as if he wanted to fall.

Slowly, so as not to alarm Sasuke or make him feel uncomfortable, he removed his hand. The minute he realized what he had been subconsciously doing, he felt the urge to move his hand further to feel the soft skin at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. To cradle that supple cheek in his hand. From there, there was no telling what he would do.

Then he started stuttering, and for a small, almost painful moment, he understood Sasuke's fangirls' urge to hug him until they squeezed the air out of his lungs. While the word "adorable" was certainly not one normally associated with the fiery young man, it certainly applied in this case. He knew he had to make things easier for Sasuke and now was not the time to tease, even if that pout made the Hyuuga want to jump him right there.

"I heard about it. I've actually been wanting to go."

"Alright." Once again Sasuke looked awkward and slightly uncomfortable, as if unsure of what to do or say. Which was actually the case. "We can go during lunch, if you want. Less crowds." He hoped. It was new, so there was a chance it'd be busy no matter what time of day they went.

Glancing at Neji, he was a little surprised when he realized he was being looked at differently. It wasn't anything he could describe, just that it wasn't the normal blank and unreadable stare. It made him feel a mixture of things and once again he found himself avoiding that all knowing stare. It was one thing when Neji wasn't looking at someone in any sort of fashion. It was another when he was.

Hands in pockets, he walked along, curiosity getting to him. Now that he knew Neji somewhat returned his feelings, he wanted to know more. Like "How long?" he didn't elaborate, knew he wouldn't have to. "It was a few months after you moved in...for me." Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat, unused to revealing so much about himself. It made him feel vulnerable.

Neji looked at the fidgeting male, biting back a chuckle since he knew that would not help the situation at all. However, at the question, Neji took on a slight air of seriousness. "How long have I been attracted to you?" he asked. "You've fascinated me from the moment I saw you."

 

Later that night, Neji awoke to his phone vibrating on the table next to his bed. He blinked his eyes open groggily and looked at his phone for a couple of seconds, not quite willing to believe someone was calling him at three in the morning. The last person to do that had been Lee, and, after a trip to the emergency room, had graciously remembered to never do that again.

The caller id said "Hiashi," so he sighed and flipped it open, knowing he would be in worse trouble if he didn't.

"Hello, uncle."

"How is your progress?"

Neji almost threw the phone at the wall. "Uncle, it is three in the morning."

"I tried calling earlier, but you weren't home."

Neji buried his face in one of his hands and glared at the ceiling. "Hold on a minute," he said and walked outside. Both of the Uchihas were light sleepers, and he didn't want to wake them. He resisted the urge to sigh. It was going to be a long night.

It didn't really matter that Sasuke was a light sleeper, since he wasn't asleep. His mind was still reeling from what Neji had said earlier. Ever since he had laid eyes on him? The Uchiha's heart hadn't stopped pounding since that confession.

Had it been anyone else, he would have rolled his eyes. But it wasn't just anyone, it was Neji, and he was sure the Hyuuga didn't fall for people that easily, just like him. Sasuke had ever held romantic feelings for someone once, and that was the person he had a crush on.

Except, it was becoming more than a crush now. Now that his feelings were somewhat returned, 'that' feeling was growing exponentially. There was only a few more hours to go until their date that wasn't a date.

_Is it even possible to like someone so much?_  
  
Eventually, he decided to just get out of bed. He wasn't going to go to sleep anytime soon. He checked his phone and regretted it. Two hundred and thirty two messages. That was just text. He wanted to throw the phone somewhere. Anywhere. Who the hell gave everyone his phone number, anyway? He was going to beat them into a pulp when he found out.

Sasuke was not looking forward to Monday.

_Gods, give me the strength to deal with those idiots_. Came the bitter thought as he began to head for the kitchen. A late night snack wouldn't hurt. As he was walking down, he thought he heard Neji's voice off in the distance. Obviously, he was imagining things, for it was three in the morning and by all rights the other male should be asleep.

_Shit. I'm not becoming like my obsessive fangirls am I?_  He'd rather die. Seriously.

He actually breathed a small sigh of relief when he noticed the door outside was slightly open and it was indeed Neji out there. Well, whoever it was must be important, so he decided to quietly get his snack and go back up to bed. It wasn't his business anyhow.

Neji had been rehashing grades and accomplishments this past month for his uncle when he thought he saw Sasuke peek his head outside. He only saw him from the corner of his eye, though, so he wasn't really sure if it was him. He hoped he hadn't woken the other male up. Then again, it was very early morning. He could have just been hallucinating.

"Yes, uncle," he said in an almost snappish tone. He had repeated this six times already! "I still have a 4.0 unweighted grade point average."

"Alright then," he replied, not seeming to notice how irritated his nephew was. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Not particularly, no."

"I will talk to you next month, then," he said, a click almost immediately after.

"Yeah, nice talking to you too," he grumbled to no one in particular, at this point a little beyond cranky. Do I dare look at the clock? He turned his phone so he could see the time and nearly decided to sleep right there, outside, on the grass, without even having the excuse of watching the stars since it was the city, and you couldn't see them anyway. He rubbed his temples in annoyance, feeling a headache coming on as he remembered-like he really needed it-why he couldn't stand his uncle.

It was almost four in the morning now. It was pointless to try and go back to sleep; he was wide awake now. He opened the door and walked inside. Maybe he could read for a while or something like that. He still had a couple of novels that he wanted to finish but hadn't had the chance to. Maybe he could continue working on that essay...

He decided he would get a snack first and would decide what to do as he as he made himself food. If anything, at least he would have some energy from the food. He walked into the kitchen and saw Sasuke and felt a small surge of guilt.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he asked, brows furrowed and slightly worried that he had.

"No." he had a small plate of sandwiches that he had just finished. "Couldn't sleep." Sasuke offered him one of those small, thin smiles. "Couldn't stop thinking about someone." looking away then, he began to put the finishing touches on his meal.

He let the silence go on until he finished, then turned to Neji again. "Wanna cancel? I don't think either of us will be chipper in a few hours." A small pause "We could just...hang out here. That is, unless you had something else in mind."

Neji smiled, flattered at the insinuation, and decided to tease him. "Sakura or Naruto?" Neji chuckled at the glare and continued before Sasuke could retort with his no doubt scathing reply. "That sounds like a good idea, especially considering how 'chipper' we normally are." He moved further into the kitchen and stopped a few feet away. "I warn you, though, if we do something like watch a movie I probably will fall asleep."

He opened the fridge and bent down to pick up some of the fruit on one of the lower shelves, as usual completely unaware of how graceful every movement appeared. His hair fell over his shoulder and irritably tucked it behind his ear when he stood back up holding a variety of fruits.

"I'm making fruit salad, want some?" he asked, glancing at him sideways once he reached the counter.

"Tch." Sasuke rolled his eyes at the jab.  _You're funny, Hyuuga_. He was going to get him back for that one. "We don't have to watch a movie, I'd probably fall asleep too." Of course, that didn't really leave many options though...

"No, I'm okay. The only 'fruit' I like is tomatoes." He raised his plate that had the sandwiches and sure enough, thick slices of the stuff could be seen. "Enjoy your sweet fruit." his brow seemed to twitch at the word 'sweet' and he almost made a face. Almost.

"Let's just sit in the living room for now." with that, he left the kitchen and walked into the spacious and somewhat cozy living room. There were bookshelves, a long coffee table, a long sofa, a loveseat, chairs, and a big screen TV. He sat down at one end of the couch and stretched out, crossing his legs.

"So, what has you up at four a.m.?"

Neji caught the twitch at the word sweet and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He finished chopping up the fruits he was adding and poured them all into a bowl. He grabbed a fork and was mixing the fruits as he walked into the living room in time to hear Sasuke's question.

"My always considerate and charming uncle called." He sat at the other end of the couch and crossed his legs with the large bowl of fruit settled in his lap. "He calls for a progress report every month," he added before popping a piece of pear into his mouth. His eyes closed briefly when the refreshing juice washed over his tongue along with the sweetness of the fruit.

Pears were possibly his favorite fruit, unless one counted a mixture of pineapple and mango. Speaking of which...

He spotted pieces of mango and pineapple and eagerly speared a piece of each to eat at the same time. Sasuke had his tomatoes; Neji had his pineapple-mango combination.

"Sounds like a hard ass." The Uchiha didn't sound impressed. "My father was like that. Nothing but the best from us would do." he also constantly compared his second son to his oldest, but that wasn't something he wanted to hash out. Now or ever. It was a very sore point for him still.

His attention moved to the Hyuuga eating. Something strange moved over Sasuke as he watched Neji savor his fruit delight. There was the sense of...envy? That had to be it. Envy over the fruit that was getting some very interesting attention. He wouldn't mind being eaten like that...

_Wrong lane of thoughts. Go back, go back now!_  
  
He was certain it was illegal somewhere to look like that while eating food. The Uchiha had to turn away lest he do something foolish. Very foolish.

Neji looked curiously at Sasuke, having sensed some underlying issues when he spoke of his father. There was more than just high expectations bothering the Uchiha. However, he didn't seem to want to talk about it, so he wouldn't push. Besides, his expression had changed so suddenly Neji was confused.

"Yeah, he is a hardass," he said, barely hiding his confusion. The look Sasuke was giving him was very... intent. His eyes seemed to have darkened, and he appeared to be staring at his bowl of fruit now. He was sure it wasn't because he wanted any. The Uchiha didn't like sweets, and he had made it very clear that applied to fruit as well. When he looked away, Neji became slightly confused.

"Are you alright?" The Uchiha seemed to have developed a sudden interest in the back of the couch, and he couldn't figure out what it was that he was doing that was making the younger male so uncomfortable.

_No, I'm not alright._  He gave the Hyuuga a look, as if he should know that and why. "Yeah." was the more than gruff reply. He took a bite of his sandwich, keeping his gaze away. "You always eat that slow? It's..."

_Distracting_. "Annoying."  _Real smooth._  "Whatever. Just forget it. I didn't...mean it like that."

To say Neji was confused would be an understatement. However, saying he was annoyed would probably be right on the money. He would give the Uchiha the benefit of the doubt, though, since they both hadn't exactly had a decent amount of sleep and Sasuke sounded embarrassed that he had said that. His eyes did narrow slightly, though.

Awkward silence ensued. He ate his sandwich, even though he no longer felt very hungry. He hadn't meant to sound like an asshole, but it was hard not to act on his impulses as he would have with Naruto. At a loss of what to do or how to soothe over the situation, he settled for not doing anything.

He finished his sandwiches and stood with the plate. "I'm going back to bed." he announced. "Sorry about your asshole uncle." Hesitation stilled him for a moment before he turned to leave. "Try and get some sleep, Neji. Don't worry about today, we can hang out whenever." The Hyuuga did look tired, and exasperated from his situation with his uncle. Sasuke didn't want to add to that, even if he did want to spend time with Neji.

Neji sighed at the Uchiha's statement and ran a hand through his hair. He let him walk away, knowing that in the mood they were both in conversation wasn't going to be very productive, and he had a feeling that what he had said was the closest he would get to an apology.

With a sigh, he continued to eat his small snack. Soon enough, he was done, it suddenly having become less enjoyable, and set the bowl on the table to take into the kitchen and wash in a bit. He wasn't going to lie, he was disappointed Sasuke had canceled. Even if he had just been an asshole, he actually had been looking forward to spending time with him.

However, before he could think about it too hard, his eyelids got extremely heavy and within a matter of minutes he was dozing on the couch.

"Aw, c'mon bastard, don't be like that..." Naruto actually sounded exasperated over the phone. "I just wanna know what I'm up against! I figured with all your crazy stalker fangirls one of them was bound to know something!"

"Well, they don't, so how about you call off that stupid search?" Sasuke was sitting in his bedroom at the large window that led out to a small balcony. He had his cellphone in hand as he looked out the window. "The entire school has been calling me to ask me the same damn thing you did."

"Eh?" Naruto did not sound pleased. "Well what the hell? What good will that do? I already tried that!"

"Tell them that. I don't know why you relied on fangirls to get information."

"Aw, man..." a sigh "Damn, I really thought it would work..."

"Loser." sighing, he allowed the blonde to start spluttering and cursing before he got serious. "Hey," he cut in, his gaze still out the window. "I don't regret anything, you know."

Silence. Then, "So why?"

It was a loaded question and Sasuke wasn't entirely sure of how to answer. Instead, he decided to shift to something else. "You should have told me you didn't love Sakura anymore."

"Huh? What does she have to do with anything?"

Nothing, but he wanted to bring it up anyway. "You know, with you telling everyone I'm gay, you probably have a better shot with her now."

Naruto ignored the part about Sakura. "You make it sound like you're not gay."

He shrugged, even though the other couldn't see it. "I never thought about it like that. It never mattered. It's about feeling."

Another moment of silence. "So...you sayin' you don't feel anything with me anymore?"

This was getting awkward. "Not..." how to word it? "It was never...romantic. Just us messing around. I always saw it as just an extension of our friendship."

He was surprised when Naruto laughed instead of sounding offended. "That sounds like you! But you know, maybe if you gave it a chance, you'd feel differently."

"No. I don't think so."

To his credit, he didn't blow up. "Because of that other person?"

"...There is no other person." Which was true. Besides, after just a few hours ago, he was pretty sure now he had killed any potential relationship between himself and Neji. "There's no one."

"Hey Sasuke? I know you don't think so, but we've been friends forever right? So what makes you think I can't read you just as well as you can read me?"

That caught him off guard. He blinked, stunned by Naruto's statement. "What...?"

Sasuke was unable to finish, as suddenly there was some muffled noises coming from the other line. "Ah, shit. Hey, I gotta go, okay? Mom's home and she's screaming about something." the phone clicked off before he could get a word in edgewise.

He looked at the phone for a long time before tossing it lightly on his bed and turning his gaze back outside, feeling conflicted.

"I'll take the bus back," the redhead said as he got out of his sister's car. Reaching towards the back seat, he grabbed his book bag. "I'll be home later."

Eyes identical to his flashed with worry for only a moment before she nodded. "Alright, little brother. Call me if you need anything."

"I will." with a small nod, Gaara turned and headed towards the fancy-looking house. Pulling out a piece of paper, he nodded at the confirmed address that had been written in Uchiha Itachi's neat handwriting. Adjusting his glasses on his nose, he walked up to the door and pressed on the doorbell.

Neji nearly jumped at the sound of the doorbell ringing and narrowly avoided falling off of the couch. He looked around, confused for a minute about why he wasn't in his room and then remembered a few hours before. He cursed to himself, knowing he would be feeling the stiffness later and made his way to the door.

What he saw was not what he had been expecting, not that he had actually been expecting anything. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of ocean green eyes surrounded by black rings and blood red hair lightly falling onto a pale face. He knew from experience the rest of him was just as pale. He saw the tattoo, always prominent on his forehead before his eyes snapped back to focus on Gaara's. He somehow managed to not rub his eyes in disbelief.

"Gaara," he breathed out. He was suddenly acutely aware that he was still in his silk pajama pants with the matching shirt unbuttoned.

"I'm glad you could make it."

Neji gave a barely noticeable jump at the deep voice suddenly coming from behind him. He turned to see Itachi already dressed and washed-freakish early riser-staring at both of them with his unreadable gaze.

"I take it you two have met before." It wasn't a question, so neither answered. "Come in," he said, and Neji managed to step out of the way without standing there gawking for too long. "I'm tutoring you in math today, correct?"

"And physics, if you do not mind." Gaara's gaze flickered to Neji only briefly, although the emotions that went through him were intense. He had not been expecting the Hyuuga, and he honestly wasn't prepared. He had hoped to never see him again.

Walking in, he didn't even spare his ex another glance, keeping his focus on Itachi. They honestly had nothing more to say to each other, so why bother? He ignored the increase of his heart beat, the way he felt at looking at skin he had once been intimately familiar with.

_Erase it from your mind._

He adjusted his back pack, taking in the house. "Your place, Uchiha-san...it's nice."

Neji managed to stifle the hurt that threatened to flash through his eyes. He knew he deserved the cold shoulder, anyway. He closed the door and moved towards the stairs, not needing to make the atmosphere any more awkward than it already was.

Itachi chose to ignore the awkwardness giving thickness to the air. He could feel Gaara staring at him intensely, as if trying not to look anywhere else. He would ask, because even he was a little curious, but Gaara seemed so uncomfortable it was almost painful to watch. To ask would probably just be cruel.

"Thank-you," he said in response to his comment, even though everyone in the room knew it was a blatant attempt to fill the empty air. His eyes flicked briefly to the rapidly departing Hyuuga, also seeming horribly uncomfortable, before turning back to the young redhead. "Which one would you like to start with?"

"Physics." His voice sounded polite and neutral, but the moment Neji reached the stairs, something flashed in the redhead's eyes. Pain, anger, and even a little bitterness.

_Don't look at him. Chances are, he did not even think of you after he abandoned you._

Finally, he allowed his gaze to focus on Itachi. The Uchiha was a somewhat intimidating figure, and that was saying something, considering who he was. Gaara had been surprised when his professor had told him that he was offering tutoring. 'The best', he had said, and so Gaara had found himself calling the number that had been given to him.

Thoughts of Neji killed any sense of enjoyment he could have gotten from the meeting, however. Although Gaara rarely showed it – because he rarely allowed anyone to get close – he could appreciate a good looking individual when he saw them. He had regular teenage boy thoughts too.

Tutoring would be a welcome distraction, for now all he could think about was the past, and it brought only bitter and painful memories.

Sasuke, meanwhile, had been about to head downstairs to see what all the commotion was about, when he spotted the Hyuuga. Something tight gripped his throat and regret washed over him. A part of him felt like apologizing, even though he had no real skill in doing so.

_"Apologies are useless."_  His father used to tell him. " _Just fix the problem."_  
  
He cleared his throat. "Neji..." but he stopped when he really looked at the other male. There was something off about him. "Hey." Sasuke hesitated, not entirely sure of what to do. The Hyuuga looked upset and seeing him like that did something funny to his stomach. He didn't fully understand the feeling, he just felt that he should do something.

His hand reached out and lightly grabbed the older male's arm. Sasuke made sure to look Neji in the eyes, his gaze intense.

"You don't have to tell me...I understand how that works. But..." Suddenly, hesitation emerged and he dropped the gaze, unsure of what to do or say. He wanted to help, felt the urge, but it just wasn't his forte. Fingers gently slid down the Hyuuga's arm as he released his grip. A scowl emerged and he felt frustrated with himself.

Was it really  _that_  hard to show affection? To help another?

"It looks like it hurts..." was what he finally said. "I can help you forget for a little while, if you want." Because that was all he could offer that he knew he could do, and for him, it always worked. Never for long, only until the afterglow passed, but had been enough for him, at the time.

Neji's eyes widened, for a minute not sure how to reply, taken completely by surprise. His common sense was warring with his emotions, and he could count on one hand how many times in his life that had happened.

He knew how effective a distraction sex could be, and judging from Naruto's quite audible reactions, the Uchiha was quite good at it. The question was could he use Sasuke that way? The whole point of their conversation and taking things slowly was to be sure that he wasn't simply acting on his lust, and this was definitely thinking with the wrong extremity.

Just when it looked as if common sense would win out, Gaara's voice drifted up to him as they walked past the stairs.

Gaara's indifferent gaze shot through his mind again, and flashbacks assaulted his memory. He could recall every detail of their relationship perfectly.

He looked at Sasuke and found that as usual he could not read that dark stare. Could he really try to use Sasuke as a replacement, even if it was only just this once?

Another flash of pain stabbed through him, and before he could second guess himself further, he smashed his lips against Sasuke's.

Itachi's expertly hidden curiosity was in danger of showing. It was probably a combination of Itachi being good at reading people and the redhead's intense emotions, but the fact that there was bitter history between the two was rapidly becoming obvious. He somehow managed to keep his face neutral. Besides, Gaara could only see his back right now, anyway.

His eyes flicked to the stairs before focusing forward again. He was mildly worried about Neji, but only because he knew Sasuke was upstairs and he hoped his little brother didn't do something stupid. Even if his feelings for Neji were genuine and extended past a crush, that didn't make him any less socially challenged.

The older male easily lead the way into the kitchen. Aside from the bedrooms and the study, the kitchen was really the only place with chairs that had a table between them. If they went somewhere like the living room he'd end up sitting next to and leaning over the redhead, and while Itachi appreciated personal space, Gaara seemed to have an aversion to anyone getting anywhere near his personal bubble.

He would have taken Gaara to his room, but that involved going upstairs and near the other two males in the house. Even Itachi disliked situations that awkward. Unfortunately, the study was right under Neji's and Sasuke's rooms, so he avoided that as a precaution. Sadly, the kitchen was the furthest point away they could get and get actual work done without leaving the house. He sat in one of the chairs and waited for Gaara to do the same and get his homework out.

Gaara set his bag down and began to pull out his physics book. "College physics is a bit different from high school, I'm learning." he sat down, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "I'm not failing, but the professor thought some extra help wouldn't hurt. He also said you needed the credit..." a small smirk emerged, his first real show of emotion.

"Something about...fangirls as well. He said with another male you  _should_  be safe?" Gaara shook his head. "He sounded rather adamant."

Okay, he could admit to himself he hadn't expected Neji to take him up on his offer. Whatever it was was obviously that serious.

He didn't respond at first, half because he was stunned, half because he was actually having second thoughts. Some logical part of him was screaming that this wasn't right. Not because of him – he would be more than happy to take Neji to his room and fuck him senseless – but because of the Hyuuga.

_He'll regret it._

It didn't feel the same as it did with Naruto. If they had been pissed off about something, sex had been a good release. If they had been pissed off at each other, they would have just sparred until exhaustion, fucked, and once again all was good.

This wasn't the same. He cared about Neji on more than a friendly level, and the kiss wasn't angry. It was full of pain and desperation.  _Who hurt you?_  He wanted to ask, because the urge to go and beat the shit out of them hit him hard.

Instead, his arms wrapped around the Hyuuga almost possessively as he returned the kiss. Slowly, he began to lead the older male to his room. He didn't try to remove their clothes. Instead, he settled for one hand exploring hard muscle while the other tugged and guided.

A decision was reached once they entered his room. Sitting down on the bed, he pulled Neji so that the other was sitting on his lap. Both hands were now moving over heated skin and Sasuke broke their lips apart.

"Relax." he murmured softly in Neji's ear. He nibbled lightly, trailing his lips along Neji's jawline and then his neck. "Don't think about anything." he bit down hard, but not enough for it to be uncomfortable. His tongue swirled around the sting before sucking lightly. Briefly, he debated leaving a mark. He wanted to, he wanted to mark Neji as his...but he wasn't. They were just...

_We're not anything._

Slowly, he slid Neji's top from his shoulders. His hands moved down strong arms as he continued to trail kisses down. "Just  _feel_."

Neji was too distracted to be surprised. He focused on the feel of the Uchiha's lips on his and the way the younger male naturally dominated him after a moment's hesitation. Neji had almost panicked when Sasuke froze, thinking the Uchiha was about to retract his offer before he felt him kissing back.

He almost melted completely when Sasuke's arm came to wrap around him, holding him like he was never letting go because he was his. He didn't know how he would feel about that later, but right now it was exactly what he needed. He gripped the Uchiha's shirt hard in an attempt to press even closer and vaguely registered Sasuke leading them to his room.

Probably a good idea. In this state, he wouldn't mind, but he would probably object later to being fucked in the hallway where anyone could walk in on them and  _God_  the Uchiha's hands felt heavenly on his too-hot torso.

They were doing a wonderful job of distracting him from why he shouldn't be doing this and why he was anyway so much that he didn't notice the Uchiha's grip become more protective than possessive. It was hard to worry about how he would regret this later with Sasuke's tongue down his throat and his hands all over him.

He felt Sasuke land on the bed and allowed himself to be pulled onto his lap. He adjusted so both of his legs were on either side of the younger male and groaned into the other male's mouth at the Uchiha's arousal pressing against him. It had been too long since he had felt these sensations. Then Sasuke told him to relax and he realized he was a trembling mess, whether it was from his emotions or the physical sensations neither knew.

He could feel himself coming undone when Sasuke ran his hands down his arms and his mouth kept moving down. He couldn't help the sigh and then groan at his actions, thoroughly enjoying the Uchiha's actions.

'Just feel;' he could do that. He could do that very easily. His head lolled back and he barely kept himself from arching. It had definitely been too long if he was this sensitive.


End file.
